Disciplinary Actions in Florida Related to Pharmacy

The following are the statutes found on Florida’s Department of Health’s website under, “2012 Statutes and Rules. Pharmacy.”

465.023 Pharmacy permittee; disciplinary action.—

(1) The department or the board may revoke or suspend the permit of any pharmacy permittee, and may fine, place on probation, or otherwise discipline any pharmacy permittee if the permittee, or any affiliated person, partner, officer, director, or agent of the permittee, including a person fingerprinted under s. 465.022(3), has:

(a) Obtained a permit by misrepresentation or fraud or through an error of the department or the board;

(b) Attempted to procure, or has procured, a permit for any other person by making, or causing to be made, any false representation;

(c) Violated any of the requirements of this chapter or any of the rules of the Board of Pharmacy; of chapter 499, known as the “Florida Drug and Cosmetic Act”; of 21 U.S.C. ss. 301-392, known as the “Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act”; of 21 U.S.C. ss. 821 et seq., known as the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act; or of chapter 893;

(d) Been convicted or found guilty, regardless of adjudication, of a felony or any other crime involving moral turpitude in any of the courts of this state, of any other state, or of the United States;

(e) Been convicted or disciplined by a regulatory agency of the Federal Government or a regulatory agency of another state for any offense that would constitute a violation of this chapter;

(f) Been convicted of, or entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere to, regardless of adjudication, a crime in any jurisdiction which relates to the practice of, or the ability to practice, the profession of pharmacy;

(g) Been convicted of, or entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere to, regardless of adjudication, a crime in any jurisdiction which relates to health care fraud; or

(h) Dispensed any medicinal drug based upon a communication that purports to be a prescription as defined by s. 465.003(14) or s. 893.02 when the pharmacist knows or has reason to believe that the purported prescription is not based upon a valid practitioner-patient relationship that includes a documented patient evaluation, including history and a physical examination adequate to establish the diagnosis for which any drug is prescribed and any other requirement established by board rule under chapter 458, chapter 459, chapter 461, chapter 463, chapter 464, or chapter 466.

(2) If a pharmacy permit is revoked or suspended, the owner, manager, or proprietor shall cease to operate the establishment as a pharmacy as of the effective date of such suspension or revocation. In the event of such revocation or suspension, the owner, manager, or proprietor shall remove from the premises all signs and symbols identifying the premises as a pharmacy. The period of such suspension shall be prescribed by the Board of Pharmacy, but in no case shall it exceed 1 year. In the event that the permit is revoked, the person owning or operating the establishment shall not be entitled to make application for a permit to operate a pharmacy for a period of 1 year from the date of such revocation. Upon the effective date of such revocation, the permittee shall advise the Board of Pharmacy of the disposition of the medicinal drugs located on the premises. Such disposition shall be subject to continuing supervision and approval by the Board of Pharmacy.

This ends the information from the Florida Board of Health’s website.

These are some of the situations that could put your Florida Pharmacy license in jeopardy. Your license is your livelihood.

Soreide Law Group, PLLC, will represent those seeking admittance to the Florida Board of Pharmacy. We also represent those pharmacists brought in front of the Florida Board of Pharmacy in disciplinary hearings. To speak to a lawyer regarding these issues please call: (888) 760-6552.